Elite Auto Rental Blog

The HUMMER H2’s position as the preferred piñata of alarmist environmentalists will be further solidified next week at the New York International Auto Show when GM’s Jeep-hunting division pulls the wraps off the revised 2008 edition of the big SUV. From the outside, the changes are very subtle. The H2’s grillework now incorporates larger openings for better breathing, and the lower bumpers are now painted silver instead of being left black. To the average person, these changes won’t even be noticed. The major upgrades to the ‘08 H2 are inside and under the skin.

Open the door and one thing is immediately apparent: the cheesy, ridiculous and very dated-looking old interior is history. Good riddance. It’s been replaced by an updated cabin environment that shows that the “new GM’s” attention to vehicles’ interior spaces extends to the gigunda ute. Thank God. Gone are the massive round heating and cooling vents. Ditto for the delivery-truck-grade steering wheel, instrument cluster and super-80s-GM-look center stack. Proper blue backlit gauges dressed up with chrome bezels stare back at the driver, who now grasps a steering wheel out of the GMT900 parts pin, while sitting in a completely redesigned seat. The reorganized center stack incorporates an analog clock, and the available navigation system and new HVAC controls are the same ones we saw in the Cadillac SRX we tested. The heater vents are all square (yay!) and aluminum-look trim adorns the stack and the vent surrounds at either ens of the dashboard. second row occupants get their own climate/audio controls, as well as heated seats. GM also says there’s a proper third row, but we won’t know if it’s suitable for non-amputees or children until we plant our butts in them at the Javits Center. Features like a rearview camera are now optional as well.
The new accommodations are coupled with an increase in underhood grunt. Pop the hood on the new H2 and you’ll be greeted by the same 6.2L all-aluminum V8 used in the Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon Denali. In the H2, it’s tuned to dish out 393 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. In terms of power, this slots it above the Denali and below the ‘Slade, and just as with the GMT900s, the H2 now channels that power through GM’s 6L80 six-speed automatic with tapshift. Towing capacity grows from 6,500 to 8,000 pounds, and a new intake and exhaust are said to make the driving experience quieter. Based on our experience with the Escalade, something tells us that the H2’s exhaust will still emit a very satisfying burble at idle, despite the new plumbing.

Safety features include now-standard roof rail curtain airbags for the second and third rows, standard stability control, traction control, panic brake assistance that helps maximize the effect of the stoppers in an emergency situation. The H2’s the first GM truck to get this, and we expect that it’ll ultimately be featured on all the other big vehicles as well. Oh, and everything we just told you applies to the H2 SUT as well.

Whether you love or hate the H2, there’s no denying this: for 2008, it just got a whole lot better.
Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/27/2008-hummer-h2-gets-more-power-interior-refinement/